Improvement in alarm and lubricating devices for car-axle boxes



2Sheets--Sheet1. 0. EVANS. Alarm and Lubricating Devices ior Gar-Axle-Boxes. NO. 135,213.' Patentedian28.i873.

.2 sheets-sheen 0. EVANS.

Alarm and Lubricating Devicesy for Car Axle-Boxes.

No. 135,213. Pafemedlamzsnava.

AM. pHoro-infamia co. ux asfvafmelsma cas) UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

vOLIVER EVANS, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ALARMAND LUBRICTING DEVICES FOR CAR-AXLE BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,213, dated January28, 1873'.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER. EvANs, of St. Paul, in the county of 'Ramseyand State of Minnesota,rhave invented certain Improve ments connectedwith Axle-Boxes, of which the following is a specification:

-My invention more particularly belongs to that class which has for itsobject the preventiouof-hot-boxes connected with railwaycam'ages,"though it may be applied with good results to any journal-box where thejournal revolves with greatspeed. The serious results which oftenattendthe heating of a journal from friction, caused by want of lubrication orirregularity' of surface-such as breaking of axles, cutting away anddestroying the journals and boxes, &c.-are too well known andacknowledged by railroad men to need special mention here; but the wantof some sure signal and preventive which can berwithout difficultyapplied to the boxes in common use has long been felt, and such signaland preventive are contemplated by my invention.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are sections; and Fig. 4, a plan showing thedifferent parts as applied to the journals of a car-axle. Fig. 5 isafront elevation.

A shows a form of railway-axle box in common use; B, the axle; C, thebrass which rests upon the axle, and is in reality the journalbox. D isthe 'chip,7 which fits between the brass and the top of the box; and Eis a cover or door, through which oil and waste are introduced to thebox. These parts comprise the whole of an ordinary box with the journalof the axle in its proper position, and for the purposes above mentionedI add to the box the other portions shown in the drawing. F is a box,which rests upon the axle-box, and in it are placed, first, a chamber,G, to contain a cartridge loaded with powder, and, second, a chamber, H,to contain an ext-ra supply of oil. To the arbor J are attached thehammer K and leverl L, and a spring, M, is placed behind the hammer.Nrepresents a plug or pin made of fusible metal and driven into a holein the brass C. P is a shaft connected with the hammer and passing intothe axle-box through an opening made for that purpose. R isa rod,attached to the lever L, which passes through the oil-chamber, and hason its lower end a valve which ts in a seat in the bottom of thechamber. Beneath this valve is an opening (shown with dotted lines)through the top of the axle-box, the chip, and the brass to the top ofthe journal. The brass may be grooved to permit the oil to iiow thewhole length of the journal, if needed. S is an indicator.

To operate my mechanism, I first draw down the shaft P and pin the lowerend of it to the brass by means of the fusible pin, thereby holding backthe hammer and closing the valve in the oil-chamber, as shown in Figs.l,

2, and 4. The powder-chamber can then be loaded and the oil-chamberfilled, when the whole is ready for service. When the brass becomesheated by friction to the degree of temperature required to fuse the pinthe shaft P is released, in consequence of which the hammer is thrownforward by the spring and explodes the cartridge, while at the sainetime the valve on the rod R is depressed, and the oil flows from thechamber H upon the journal, the position of the parts being then asshown in Fig. 3. The noise of the explosion would call attention to thefact that a box was out of order, while the oil supplied would afford atemporary relief.

It would be well to connect an indicator to the outer end of the arborJin order to show at a glance which box was out of order, and suchindicator may be made like the hand of a clock and turn with thearbor-or in any other well-known form--and even if the car tridge shouldbe omitted or fail to explode a warning would be given.

The fusible pin should be constructed of a metal that will fuse at atemperature much less than would be required to ignite the oil, and suchmetals are well known in the arts. It may be necessary or advisable tohave two pins of different grades of fusion, (one` connected with thesignal and the other with the oil-chamber,) so that one would fusebefore the other. A

My invention may be usefully applied by omitting either theexplosive-chamber or the oil-chamber; but I prefer to use them together,and to have an indicator connected with them when singly or together.

I claim as my invention- In combination with a journal and 'its box afusible pin or plug, so connected with a signal that the fusing of thepin or plug will cause the signal to be seen or heard, substantially asset forth.

OLIVER EVANS.

Witnesses:

OHAs. F. SLEEPER, J. J. LA CAVE.

